Metabolic factors top risk drivers of ischemic heart disease: study

BEIJING, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have disclosed that metabolic risk factors such as high blood pressure, high and low-density cholesterol, high blood sugar and high body mass index have been the leading drivers of ischemic heart disease (IHD).

The IHD imposes the highest disease burden among all cardiovascular diseases worldwide. And high blood sugar and high body mass index took the place of smoking and diet problems to rank top of the IHD risk drivers, said Li Hongliang, professor at the Wuhan University.

The researchers studied the changes and trends of metabolic risk factors over the past 30 years in 204 countries and regions in different economic situations. They found that the disease burden caused by high blood pressure was more prominent in elderly people, while the high body mass index and high blood sugar-associated disease burden grew among young and middle-aged people.

In their recent research article published in the journal Cell Metabolism, researchers called for implementing effective measures to control metabolic risk factors to prevent further increases in IHD-related deaths.